Threatened by Australia in its previous game, the USA men’s team started fast but had to survive a heart-racing final seconds to beat Serbia 94-91 on Friday, the 49th consecutive global tournament win for the Americans.
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He left Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic for a double-team, leaving Bogdanovic open for a potential game-tying 3-point attempt with two seconds remaining in the game.
The United States started off quickly against Serbia, but the European side wasn’t going to watch the game get away from them after trailing by 18 points in the first quarter.
DeRozan (USC 2009) scored 11 points and added an assist and a rebound in 10 minutes of action, as six US players scored in double figures. The Americans have never done that in the Olympics and are on pace to break the 102.4 points a game the 1996 team averaged en route to their gold medal that started the run of five straight that the U.S.is now on, the victory was the 44th straight in the Olympics for the Americans.
Serbia jumped out to a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but China narrowed that deficit to six at halftime (40-34). Instead of being motivated by a closer than necessary game against Australia Team, the Americans laid another egg.
Whatever the issues are, Coach K and the team better work through them quickly, as they have only one more game in group play against France before it is win or go home in the knockout rounds.
RIO DE JANEIRO – Two sluggish performances for the USA men’s Olympic basketball team have not hurt its chances to win a gold medal in the eyes of Las Vegas oddsmakers.
One would have assumed after getting their first real taste of competition against Australia on Wednesday that the Americans would look to send a message to the rest of the world they are still the overwhelming favourites. Serbia took the Americans out of a rhythm and almost beat them by playing basketball.
With each passing game, the gap between the Americans and the global opposition is narrowing. “This is third game in a row that we have a very bad beginning, and especially (against) the teams like the United States, it’s very tough to get back in the game when you are losing by 10 or 15 in the beginning”. France hasn’t played as good as they have looked on paper this series.
“That’s something that we have to continue to get acclimated to”, he said, while praising the Serbians as “fantastic”. The miss secured the win for Team USA. It’s a different game.
With their final game in preliminary play Sunday afternoon against a French team that won’t blink for a second at Team USA’s talent. They’ll play China in their final game of the group phase.
Thompson was shooting a hard-to-believe 15 percent (4-for-26) from the floor and 18 percent (3-for-18) on 3s through four games before this much-needed bust-out.
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The U.S. team won bronze, its first medal in the event in 84 years.
